British darts sensation Luke Littler has made history by becoming the youngest ever PDC World Championship winner with a commanding 7-3 victory over Michael van Gerwen.
The 17-year-old was in unstoppable form, racing into a 4-0 lead. Despite Van Gerwen winning three sets, he never posed a real threat to Littler, who always remained in control.
Van Gerwen previously held the record as the youngest champion, having won his first of three world titles in 2014 at the age of 24. However, Littler shattered that record with the same ease with which he defeated the Dutchman on the Alexandra Palace stage.
The Warrington teenager averaged just over 102 and threw 12 180s in a darting masterclass, securing the £500,000 first prize and lifting the Sid Waddell Trophy for the first time.
Given his impressive performance and composure under pressure, just three weeks shy of his 18th birthday, this victory is likely the first of many for Littler.
Littler had been narrowly defeated by Luke Humphries in last year’s final. When the world number one was eliminated in the fourth round this year, the trophy seemed up for grabs.
Although Van Gerwen has not been at his best this season, facing a three-time winner appearing in his seventh final still presented a formidable challenge for the young star.
Littler, however, is not your average darts player. He showed no signs of nerves as he raced into a 4-0 lead, benefiting from some inconsistent finishing by Van Gerwen.
While the 35-year-old Van Gerwen was scoring well, he missed crucial darts at doubles or failed to set up shots at the outer ring, winning just three legs in the first four sets.
Van Gerwen finished with a 100 average and threw one more 180 than Littler, with 13. However, his 14 hits out of 38 attempts at doubles were insufficient against the game’s new superstar.
